1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved anchoring arrangement for use in conjunction with a seismic construction system for cavity walls having an inner wythe and an outer wythe. More particularly, the invention relates to construction accessory devices, namely, snap-in wire ties, for emplacement in the outer wythe. These devices accommodate the encapturing of a reinforcing wire therewithin. The invention is applicable to seismic structures having an outer wythe of brick or stone facing in combination with an inner wythe of masonry block or dry wall construction and with various forms of insulation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, investigations relating to the effects of various forces, particularly lateral forces, upon brick veneer masonry construction demonstrated the advantages of having a continuous wire embedded in the mortar joint of anchored veneer walls, such as facing brick or stone veneer. The seismic aspect of these investigations were referenced in the prior patent, namely U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,319, to Ronald P. Hohmann, an inventor hereof.
The assignee of U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,319, Hohmann & Barnard, Inc., successfully commercialized the device under the SeismiClip trademark. For many years the white plastic clip tying together the veneer anchor and the reinforcement wire in the outer wythe has been a familiar item in commercial seismic-zone buildings. There has been a long felt need to combine the clip and veneer anchor as detailed hereinbelow. The combination item reduces the number of “bits and pieces” brought to the job site and simplifies installation.
Recently, there have been significant shifts in public sector building specifications which have resulted in architects and architectural engineers requiring larger and larger cavities in the exterior cavity walls of public buildings. These requirements are imposed without corresponding decreases in wind shear and seismic resistance levels or increases in mortar bed joint height. Thus, the wall anchors needed are restricted to occupying the same ⅜-inch bed joint height in the inner and outer wythes. Thus, the veneer facing material is tied down over a span of two or more times that which had previously been experienced. Exemplary of the public sector building specification is that of the Energy Code Requirement, Boston, Mass. (See Chapter 13 of 780 CMR, Seventh Edition). This Code sets forth insulation R-values well in excess of prior editions and evokes an engineering response opting for thicker insulation and correspondingly larger cavities.
Besides earthquake protection, the failure of several high-rise buildings to withstand wind and other lateral forces has resulted in the incorporation of a requirement for continuous wire reinforcement in the Uniform Building Code provisions. The inventor's related SeismiClip®. and DW-10-X®. products (manufactured by Hohmann & Barnard, Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788) have become widely accepted in the industry. The use of a continuous wire in masonry veneer walls has also been found to provide protection against problems arising from thermal expansion and contraction and improving the uniformity of the distribution of lateral forces in a structure.
The following patents are believed to be relevant and are disclosed as being known to the inventor hereof:
U.S. Pat. No.InventorIssue Date3,377,764StorchApr. 16, 19684,021,990SchwalbergMay 10, 19774,373,314AllanFeb. 15, 19834,473,984LopezOct. 02, 19844,598,518HohmannJul. 08, 19864,869,038CataniSep. 26, 19894,875,319HohmannOct. 24, 19895,454,200HohmannOct. 03, 19956,668,505Hohmann et al.Dec. 30, 20036,789,365Hohmann et al.Sep. 14, 20046,851,239Hohmann et al.Feb. 08, 2005
It is noted that these devices are generally descriptive of wire-to-wire anchors and wall ties and have various cooperative functional relationships with straight wire runs embedded in the interior and/or exterior wythe.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,377,764—D. Storch—Issued Apr. 16, 1968
Discloses a bent wire, tie-type anchor for embedment in a facing exterior wythe engaging with a loop attached to a straight wire run in a backup interior wythe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,021,990—B. J. Schwalberg—Issued May 10, 1977
Discloses a dry wall construction system for anchoring a facing veneer to wallboard/metal stud construction with a pronged sheetmetal anchor. Like Storch '764, the wall tie is embedded in the exterior wythe and is not attached to a straight wire run.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,373,314—J. A. Allan—Issued Feb. 15, 1983
Discloses a vertical angle iron with one leg adapted for attachment to a stud; and the other having elongated slots to accommodate wall ties. Insulation is applied between projecting vertical legs of adjacent angle irons with slots being spaced away from the stud to avoid the insulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,984—Lopez—Issued Oct. 2, 1984
Discloses a curtain-wall masonry anchor system wherein a wall tie is attached to the inner wythe by a self-tapping screw to a metal stud and to the outer wythe by embedment in a corresponding bed joint. The stud is applied through a hole cut into the insulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,518—R. Hohmann—Issued Jul. 7, 1986
Discloses a dry wall construction system with wallboard attached to the face of studs which, in turn, are attached to an inner masonry wythe. Insulation is disposed between the webs of adjacent studs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,038—M. J. Catani—Issued Sep. 26, 1989
Discloses a veneer wall anchor system having in the interior wythe a truss-type anchor, similar to Hala et al. '226, supra, but with horizontal sheetmetal extensions. The extensions are interlocked with bent wire pintle-type wall ties that are embedded within the exterior wythe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,319—R. Hohmann—Issued Oct. 24, 1989
Discloses a seismic construction system for anchoring a facing veneer to wallboard/metal stud construction with a pronged sheetmetal anchor. Wall tie is distinguished over that of Schwalberg '990 and is clipped onto a straight wire run.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,454,200—R. Hohmann—Issued Oct. 3, 1995
Discloses a facing anchor with straight wire run and mounted along the exterior wythe to receive the open end of wire wall tie with each leg thereof being placed adjacent one side of reinforcement wire. As the eye wires hereof have scaled eyelets or loops and the open ends of the wall ties are sealed in the joints of the exterior wythes, a positive interengagement results.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,668,505—Hohmann et al.—Issued Dec. 30,
Discloses high-span and high-strength anchors and reinforcement devices for cavity walls combined with interlocking veneer ties are described which utilize reinforcing wire and wire formatives to form facing anchors, truss or ladder reinforcements, and wall anchors providing wire-to-wire connections therebetween.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,365—R. Hohmann et al.—Issued Sep. 14, 2004
Discloses side-welded anchor and reinforcement devices for a cavity wall. The devices are combined with interlocking veneer anchors, and with veneer reinforcements to form unique anchoring systems. The components of each system are structured from reinforcing wire and wire formatives.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,851,239—Hohmann et al.—Issued Feb. 8, 2005
Discloses a high-span anchoring system described for a cavity wall incorporating a wall reinforcement combined with a wall tie which together serve a wall construct having a larger-than-normal cavity. Further the various embodiments combine wire formatives which are compressively reduced in height by the cold-working thereof. Among the embodiments is a veneer anchoring system with a low-profile wall tie for use in a heavily insulated wall.
None of the above provide a completely reinforced arrangement of both the inner and the outer wythes, and all of the above lack a simplified snap-in anchor to encapture the reinforcement wire as described hereinbelow.